India's Genetically Modified (GM) crop growth story has been stalled with just four states allowing field trials. An eminent scientist has sought Prime Minister's intervention in this regard.  Field trials of newly developed GM crops are important for scientific analysis of the yield and its commercial release. Till 2010, research institutions were free to conduct field trials anywhere in the country. But in 2011, the environment ministry had imposed a condition...

-The Telegraph Rainfall over India has been 42 per cent below normal during the first 13 days of the 120-day monsoon season, with vast tracts of the peninsular region still waiting for rains, but Scientists today predicted a fresh surge within the next three days. The India Meteorological Department said today it expects atmospheric conditions to “become favourable” for a further advance of the monsoon over parts of Bengal and Odisha over...

-The Economic Times Kulvinder Gill, professor of breeding and genetics at the Washington State University in the US, describes himself as a dreamer and an optimist. One of his dreams is to make sure food production does not decline over the next few decades, when increasing temperatures act on the yields of major crops. Specifically, he is beginning a project with six other organisations in India to make wheat less sensitive to...

-The Hindu States told to have contingency plans ready, post-delay in onset in Kerala   Agriculture experts and officials are closely monitoring the advance of the southwest monsoon, which is crucial not only for the important summer kharif crop but also the socio-economic wellbeing of the country. There are apprehensions that with farm growth having slowed down in the pre-wheat harvest quarter to 1.7 per cent, if the monsoon were to be deficient, then...

Contending that the NCERT textbook on political science did not represent the views or prejudices of one or two authors, Yogendra Yadav, who was chief adviser to the NCERT on the subject, said the book was developed by a large team of political Scientists, teachers and educationists. “Given the very sensitive nature of the book, the entire text was shown to three eminent historians of contemporary India — Professor Sunil Khilnani,...